A Life of Writing

A professional writer is a person with a particular brand of ups and downs. People become professional writers for a number of reasons, such as strong linguistic, storytelling or communication abilities, but one thing that all professional writers value is the power of the written word. The creation of literature marked the dawn of humanity’s original intellectual revolution, and literature continues to flourish today as the basis for the communication of intellectual ideas. Even the movies and music that we value so highly in modern times begin with the written word, in the form of screenplays and lyrics. Writers have played a very important role in the civilization of the world’s cultures, and continue to revolutionize the world today. However, for such an important vocation, writers can be some of the most misunderstood and disadvantaged professionals in the workforce. Society’s relationship with its writers can be a complicated one.

The rewards of being a professional writer are many. Professional writers often struggle to make a living on their writing, so when they do achieve that coveted title of professional writer, it is very fulfilling. It is an honor for a writer to make a living on their writing because it means they have something valuable to say. Professional writing is unique among vocations as it calls for solitude and a great deal of thinking. In fact, it is quite literally an exercise in organizing and translating thoughts into communication. Most professional writing positions are in marketing and technical writing, which can make a decent living. It is a much smaller percentage of writers that publish full length books, but those who do can sometimes become wealthy off of it.

Of course, it is not all good news for professional writers. There are a number of ways they are abused and mistreated as well. When all is said and done, the skill of writing is an art form, and it is no big secret that artists are largely disrespected in the work force. Writers are often pressured to produce insanely high word counts for unimpressive pay – a practice that totally disregards the talent they possess. This pushes many of them toward mental disorders and addictive tendencies. Writers are also frequently misunderstood as people for their necessity of solitude. Writing is one vocation that cannot be achieved socially.